One of the tallest mortuary poles still standing at S'Gaang Gwaii (Nistints), Haida Gwaii, BC
Remains of mortuary and memorial poles at S'Gaang Gwaii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Ninstints), face the driftwood-littered beach on the leeward side of S'Gaang Gwaii Llanagaay (Anthony Island). This is the most southernly of the Haida villages, which was abandoned in ~1880 after the population was substantially reduced by the 1862 smallpox epidemic and subsequently by other introduced diseases. The UNESCO criterion says quote 'S'G̱aang Gwaay bears unique testimony to the culture of the Haida. The art represented by the carved poles at S'G̱aang Gwaay Llnagaay is recognized to be among the finest examples of its type in the world'. Gwaii Haanas Haida Heritage Site, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. Its UNESCO status has helped in attempts to stabilize the totems and retard the natural degradation processes and helped protect the site from adverse effects of human development and invasive species such as the Sitka deer.
Size: 3333px × 5000px
Location: S'Gang Gwaii on Anthony Island, Gwaii Haanas, Haida Gwaii, BC
Photo credit: © Terry Allen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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